Premier League beats Bundesliga in shirt deals

MADRID - The English Premier League has leapfrogged Germany's Bundesliga as the biggest earner from shirt sponsorships, according to a study by consulting firm Sport+Markt published on Thursday.

Despite tough times for the British economy, endorsement deals for the 20 Premier League clubs totalled 128 million euros ($177 million) in 2010/11, compared with 118.5 million for the 18 sides in Germany's top league, the study showed.

English clubs, which also earn the most from television deals, increased their revenue from 83.5 million euros the previous year while income for their German counterparts was up from 108.6 million euros.